As a sports fan, this news brightens up my day. Casey Affleck is set to Direct the Josh Hamilton Biopic.

First let me talk Casey Affleck. In my mind, one of the most under appreciated actors of his day. No, really. I mean it. He’s always a co-star and never gets the credit he deserves. Then when he does step out and take on a starring role like he did in Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – Shit, forget about it. He’s brilliant.

Now the thirty-six-year old younger brother of Ben Affleck will step behind the camera again. His Directorial debut was, ‘I’m Still Here,’ on of the best mockumentary’s ever made. Though, I give most of that credit to Joaquin Phoenix who should have won the Oscar for that performance of… himself.

Anyway the story of Josh Hamilton is an infamous one that happens to have a great ending… So far. He was the first player chosen in the 1999 Major League Baseball draft, although his rise to stardom was a rocky one. He became addicted to alcohol and cocaine, to the point where he was even hiding cocaine in his minor league uniform. He was kicked out of baseball altogether after a failed stint at the Betty Ford clinic.

After finally embracing his demons and committing to recovery, he petitioned Major League Baseball for one more chance, and was signed by the Cincinatti Reds in 2007. He was traded to the Texas Rangers one year later, where he blossomed into one of baseball’s rising stars. He hit a record-breaking 35 home runs in the 2008 Home Run Derby, and has been considered one of the sport’s top players ever since, winning the MVP Award in 2010.